Ingredients of a successful quiz show?

Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Deal or No Deal, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, are the more successful shows that come to mind.

The one thing I see in a lot of game shows is the use of trivia. Contestants answer trivia questions for a x amount of dollars or prizes.

What makes game shows succeed is relying on competition, success, and knowledge- it’s not hard to find contestants who are always aching to show off what they know and to compete. Mix in money and that’s like opening the flood gates. Above all of that though, you have to find a way to get people’s attention intitially; this is done through the name. For example, shows like “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader” or “Moment of Truth” have interesting catchy titles.

Using a comical host or celebrity host is also a good move. “1 vs 100” and “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader” both use popular comics as hosts for their shows (Jeff Foxworthy and Bob Saget). Both of those shows, and shows like “American Idol”, also have a wide target audience. When shows appeal to and are safe for kids to watch and interesting enough to keep parents and teens hooked, game shows do the best.